


Tea Talk

by ShadowoftheLamp



Series: Blank Space AU [8]
Category: Jack Blank Adventures - Matt Myklusch
Genre: Gen, Implied/Referenced Suicide
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-09
Updated: 2016-02-09
Packaged: 2018-05-19 08:52:37
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 729
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5961460
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShadowoftheLamp/pseuds/ShadowoftheLamp
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Blank and Stendeval have a talk over tea.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Tea Talk

The invitation swirled out of thin air, red particles forming into an envelope.

" _To Blank: You said you said you wanted to meet me for tea. Is right now a good time? If yes, put this letter back in the envelope and I'll teleport you in a moment._ "

Blank ran his fingers along the edge of the paper, before tucking it back into the envelope and sitting down on the couch. He scribbled out a quick note to Jack on a sticky note and stuck it on the coffee table. The letter disappeared a minute later, and after a few seconds, so did he.

"Hello, Blank. I trust the day is treating you well?" Stendeval said with a smile once Blank's legs steadied and Blank nodded.

"Yeah, it's nice out and we've had a pretty easy morning." He stretched, shirt riding up just enough to reveal a bit of skin.

"Always good to hear." Stendeval settled himself down next to the table on his deck, and Blank pulled out a chair to join him. "So, you wished to talk to me about something?"

"Yes. I was..." He ran a hand through his hair. "I wanted to tell you some of the stuff that happened, the stuff I did. I don't want to burden Jack with it. I know it's the past, but I want to still acknowledge it."

Stendeval smiled warmly. "I'm glad you feel you can confide in me- talking it out can help soothe the soul. I'm all ears." Blank picked up a teacup, sipping it.

"Earth... it lasted about ten years. The fighting mostly ended after five. There were rebel groups, of course, but once the Imagine Nation fell..." He sighed. "They sent me after Earth first. I had already been forced out of control by then, but Khalix wanted to break me even more."

He didn't realize he was shivering until Stendeval waved a hand and a blanket slid down around his shoulders. It smelled like spices and smoke, and he curled it closer.

"I didn't fight, at first. I couldn't believe what was happening." He laughed bitterly. "They'd broken my mind so much I was convinced I must have been hallucinating the entire battle of Empire City. It wasn't until I killed Smart that I realized it was real, and by then, half the city was either infected or dead. That's when Khalix started taunting me."

"You were just a child. You can't blame yourself for their actions." Stendeval said.

"I was too weak. Jack fought-"

"Jack knew what was coming, and it nearly caused him a breakdown several times." Blank winced at that, but Stendeval pressed on.

"However, it made him stronger, able to face the future and win. You couldn't have predicted the extent of their inhumanity." He said evenly. "In the end, you won. Your intent was to save those you'd been forced to hurt."

Blank tugged the blanket closer. "By killing myself." He swallowed. "I'd... I'd tried, before. Before I was Revile. They always saved me, though." He could still feel the scars across his arms, around his neck... The ones he'd remembered had reappeared on his skin. He knew there had been more, and the clean skin he'd last seen marked and raw made his guts twist.

"That's completely understandable." Stendeval took a sip of his tea. "You were out of options everywhere you turned. Life is a precious gift, but in your situation, most would have done the same." He set down the teacup, leaning over the table and setting a hand on Blank's shoulder. "It's difficult to look back on who you used to be, but you have to remember there was a reason you acted the way you did. And look at you now! The Rustov are gone, you're human, and you're making great strides to live the way you want! The past is good to look upon for guidance, but the future is a marvelous journey yet to be taken."

Blank's eyes fell on the table for a moment before he looked up at Stendeval.

He could still see the Mark on his eye and a metal horn on his head, but he blinked and they were gone

"...Thanks."

That evening, Jack saw him curled up in a blanket and watching tv. For the first time he'd noticed, Blank wasn't flinching at the sudden noises.


End file.
